THUNDER OVER MICHIGAN 2017

[Warbirdnerd]

How much were the tickets?

$20 to park, $40 admission for adults.

Yikes! BOHICA...

[WIXerGreg]

I guess they DO have a new museum building to pay for . Ticket price in comparison to the amount/quality of displays have become a common gripe over the last few years, I hope this doesn't become a trend and become the downfall of the show. My wife encouraged me to go but I 'm kind of glad I didn't make the 12 hour round trip, spend $500 and miss a long weekend with the kids.

Yankee Lady flying revenue flights all day rather than participating in displays is pretty much the norm from what I've seen.

Probably a little harder to judge because the show is spread out over three days, but does attendance seem normal this year?

I hope you guys get the P-40 and C-46 today!

[hurricane_yank]

This has been a common trend for a few years now - the glory days were really back in the early to mid-2000's. My Dad and I stopped attending after the prices kept climbing and the quality went down. The "battle re-enactors" are well worth seeing at least once...again was better when they used the bean field.

I don't blame them for selling out to the bigger acts as they bring the crowds for the money they need to finance their museum. Thanks for sharing the pictures, it is neat they ended up getting the P-40B to come.

[Steve Nelson]

One of the high points for me at Thunder came literally as I was walking out the gate. I happened to pass the Warbird Pinup Calendars booth, and there posing for a photo op was this lovely woman (not that one, the lady in the wheelchair.) Her name is Phyllis (didn't catch her last name) and she's the second-oldest living original Rosie The Riveter, at 98 years young. The young girl is one of those for whom the Rosies have been a real inspiration.

SN

20170903_170040 by Steve Nelson, on Flickr

[Vagabond]

The highlight of the re-enactment was this rare appearance by the period Nissankampfwagen. Unfortunately, I was unable to get a pic of the rare Golfkartenkraftrad.

IMG_0181 by Matthew Vader, on Flickr[/quote]

Dude - THAT is hysterically funny!! Might very well be my favorite caption of all time!

[Steve Nelson]

The highlight of the re-enactment was this rare appearance by the period Nissankampfwagen. Unfortunately, I was unable to get a pic of the rare Golfkartenkraftrad.

I think the Golfkartenkraftrad was for some of those Wermacht troops..some of them looked like they'd had a few too many strudels!

SN

[Xray]

The B-17 flew around giving rides. It flew down the crowd line several times in the morning on Saturday before 1:00.

Doesn't begin to make up for the fact their own B-17 didn't do a decent performance for the crowd at its own air show. The people who put on this show better wake up and realize you can't screw people repeatedly and get away with it. Sooner or later it will come back to bite you.

I see your point and agree to a degree, but put yourself in their shoes.
These things are timed well in advance, you take a group of paying customers up at such and such a time, next group is scheduled at such and such a time, ect. They also have to refuel and who knows what else, but they couldn't have much of a time table if they broke off for repeated crowd passes ,,, Which itself would have to be choreographed with the show, cleared by the airboss ect.

[Pogo]

Very interesting stuff! Many thanks especially to all the photographers who posted in this thread, some pretty nice picture-taking going on there.

[Jerry O'Neill]

A question for those who were there on Saturday; I was just wondering if they incorporated the Airborne drop into the battle
scenario or did they just perform a drop and not engage in a battle?
Thanks.
Jerry

[mazdaP5]

A few shots from Monday. ToM was a good time!

[mazdaP5]

[Xray]

Only drop was FRI, SAT/SUN cancelled because of wind

[Tim Savage]

Only drop was FRI, SAT/SUN cancelled because of wind

That is not true, they most definitely dropped on Saturday. They did not drop on Sunday and Monday due to winds. I am not sure if they dropped on Friday during the practice show or not as we had not arrived yet.

[hurricane_yank]

Only drop was FRI, SAT/SUN cancelled because of wind

That is not true, they most definitely dropped on Saturday. They did not drop on Sunday and Monday due to winds. I am not sure if they dropped on Friday during the practice show or not as we had not arrived yet.

I am guessing that is what he meant - it may have just been weird to think about an airshow on a Monday.

8/25/18 and 8/26/2018 Thunder Over Michigan 2018 (Thunderbirds)

[Xray]

Only drop was FRI, SAT/SUN cancelled because of wind

That is not true, they most definitely dropped on Saturday. They did not drop on Sunday and Monday due to winds. I am not sure if they dropped on Friday during the practice show or not as we had not arrived yet.

Got days mixed up, there 5 days in a row.
No drop on FRI, aside from the Angels, no practice going on at all that day.
[C-47 with a female pilot did make quite a few passes that day]